The Taliban have announced that 442 families comprising 2,221 people were forcibly returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries yesterday.
Hamidullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, said in a statement on Saturday, August 8, that 359 families comprising 1,886 people entered Afghanistan through the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar, while 31 families comprising 161 people entered through the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar.
According to the statement, 39 families comprising 129 people returned to the country through the Silk Road route in Nimroz, while another 13 families comprising 45 people returned through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat.
Following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, the lack of employment opportunities, rising poverty, and economic difficulties have driven several people from Afghanistan to migrate to neighboring countries to cover their living expenses. However, their forced deportation has resulted in these families being returned to Afghanistan.
This comes as humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that the forced return of these families, in the absence of employment opportunities and sources of income, could expose them to poverty and serious livelihood difficulties.
